Door opening and closing device.



No. 807,043. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. K. NISHIMOTO.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7.1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 807,043. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. K. NISHIMOTO.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVIOE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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' my am 2 L w M4,. fife 1 No. 807,043. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

K. NISHIMOTO.

DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1905.

i SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 807,043. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. K. NISHIMOTO. DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION I'ILED JUNE 7,1905.

4 SHEET$ SHEBT 4.

Win Waco:

ae/mow 2667;, 5771 02 5 KENZAEMON NISHIMOTO, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

7 DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 7, 1905- Serial No. 264,105-

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, KENZAEMON NIsHI- MOTO, a cltizen of Japan, residmg at Fresno, 1n

the county of Fresno and State of California,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Door Opening and Closing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

ally by the weight of a personand without any need of touching the door in any way by the one desiring to pass or passing through the door in either direction.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a fragment of a door in partial section, showing circuit-closing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail in section of the platforms and means of hanging them.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the door-opening mechanism beneath the platforms. Fig. 4 is an elevation in partial section of the motor and its connections with the door. Fig. 5 is a plan of the elliptical cam and subjacent mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the cam-shifting means. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the casting 29, showing particularly the construction and arrangement of the members 50 and spring-latches 52. Fig. 8 is a detail of a member 50 and spring-latch 51. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the gear 42 and portion of the motor-shaft. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the carriage 36, showing the tubular projections 35 and 58.

A represents a door hung to swing in either direction and adapted normally to remain closed. As here shown, the door is provided with a pivot-shaft 2, forming part of the lower hinge and capable of a slight rotative movement in the door and having its lower end projecting below the door and through the floor and provided with a suitable ball-bearing step 3 in the casting 4. Attached to the shaft and to the door are two oppositely-coiled springs 6, operating to limit the rotative movement of the door and designed to relieve the strain on the parts when the door is opened by my mechanism. The upper bearing or hinge for the door is shown as a plate 7, having a part extending upwardly above the door and supported in a ball-bearing step 8 in the door-frame. The door is held normally closed by suitable means, as the arm 5 on shaft. 2, and the spring 5, attached to the arm and to a'fixed support, both the arm and spring being be low the floor and adapted normally to stand in line with one another. On each side of the door isa hinged floor-section or platform 9, adapted, through suitable mechanism connecting it with the door, to open the door away from the operator whenever the latter happens to step upon a platform. These platforms may be of any suitable construction and may be hung in any approved manner to produce the desired oscillatory movement. I have shown them as constructed of ordinary floor-pieces attached to metal arms 10, said arms having their ends made hook-fashion, as at 11, to hang on the fulcrum-bar 1.2, disposed beneaththe threshold-plate 13. The bars 10 and flooring of the platform are constructed to form a rigid structure. The free end of the platform is resiliently supported, as by the springs 14, in such a manner that the platform is ordinarily on the same or about the same level as the rest of the floor or sidewalk. From the un der side of each platform and at the front end thereof depends a link 15, which bears on a lever 16, having one end suitably fulcrumed at 17 on a fixed support and the other held up by a bolt 18, which latter is supported from the central joint of a toggle 19. The toggle 19 has one member fulcrumed, as at 20, to a fixed support and the other connected to a sliding bar 21, which latter operates the door-opening mechanism, as will be explained shortly. The lever 16 is supported on the bolt 18 by the nut 22, and a spring 23, surrounding the bolt 18, is interposed between the lever 16 and a fixed support 24. Pressing down on the platform 9 causes the lever 16 to be depressed and the toggle 19 to be elongated. The downward movement of the bolt 18 closes an electric circuit between two contacts 25 26, which sets in motion a motor 27, which is suspended from the frame-casting 29, disposed beneath the door and platform. The closing of the circuit at the points 25 26 is done by means of a leaf-spring 30, pivoted intermediate of its ends, as at 31, on the casting 24 and having an end engageable in a notch in the bolt 18. When the bolt 18 is depressed, the spring 30 pushesdown on an insulated plug 82 to press the spring-contact;

35, provided with a cross-head portion 36,

supported on balls or rollers 37 in the top of the casting 29.

the balls 37 are arranged on each side of this opening and bear on suitable tracks on the under side of the cross-head or carriage 36, so that the latter and the motor may be shifted bodily in either direction in said slot. The motor-shaft 39 extends up through the sleeve 35 and cross-head and carries an elliptical plate 40, which turns on ball-bearings 41. on the cross-head and supports the motor-shaft and armature. The shaft 39 also carries above the plate 40 the beveled gear 42. The beveled gear 42 is arranged in suitable relation to and between the two opposed mitergears 43 44, fixed on the shaft 45, which runs beneath the threshold 13 and parallel with it. The shaft 45 is shown as suitably journaled in bearings carried by the frame-casting 29. The shaft 45 carries a beveled ear 46, engaging a pinion 47 on the vertical door-shaft 2, so that it will be seen that ifthe gear 42 is moved up against the gear 43 and the motor set in motion the door will be opened in one direction, while if the gear 42 is moved against the gear 44 and the parts revolved the door will open in the other direction. The direc tion in which the door opens is determined by the direction in which an operator approaches the door and which platform is depressed. As will be seen later, suitable mechanism is provided to prevent both platforms being depressed at the same time. Springs 48 are arranged to bear on opposite ends of the cross-head or carriage 36 in such manner as to tend always to bring the gear 42 into normal inoperative position between the two gears 43 44. The reciprocation of the carriage parallel with shaft 45 to carry the gear 42 into contact with one or the other of the gears 43 44 is done in the present instance by the following means: Beneath each platform is arranged a corresponding toggle 19, which, as before described, connects with a rod 21. These toggles are ar ranged diagonally opposite one another, so that the rods 21 extend parallel with each other, with a rod on either side of the elliptical plate 40. These rods each carry a stop or a lug 49, which engages a rockable .normally spring-retracted angular member 50, fulcrumed in the casting 29, and each member having an arm 51, which is adapted when the member is engaged by a stop 49 and rocked in one direction to be lifted upright when the shortest diameter of the ellip- The latter is slotted trans versely of the door, as indicated at 38, and

tical plate or cam 40 is opposite this particular arm ,51, since the shortest radius of the elliptical cam does not exceed the distance between arm .51 and the center of the shaft 39.

In practice the operation of the device will be as follows: An operator steps on the platform, depressing the latter, closin the circuit between the contacts 25 26, an set ting the motor in operation. This settin of the motor in operation causes the elliptica cam 40 and the gear 42 .to revolve; At the same time the toggle 19 under this particular platform is straightened out, pushing the rod 21 forward and causing the lug 49 to rock the member 50 and raise the arm 51 up alongside of the cam as soon as the contracted diameterof the latter will allow. The .arm 51 Jbeing sufficiently resistant, .the gear 42 and the motor are pushed away from this arm by reason of theeliliptical shape of the cam and the sliding movement afforded by the .carriage '36, so that the gear 42 is carried over against the opposite gear on shaft 45 .to revolve the latter inthe desireddirection. Inasmuch as it takes alongerperiodof time to .completely open thedoor thancam 4O andarms 51 can be dependedon alone to keep the twogears in mesh, some means mustbe provided toprevent the gear 42 movingbackwhen the shorter diameter of the .cam again approaches the uplifted arm 51. Ihave shown a spring-latch 52 carried in the casting 29 and .en ageable in a notch 53 in the carriage or cross ead 36. whenever the latter is moved the proper direction. There are two of these latches 52 on opposite sides and at opposite ends of the path traversable :by the carriage -.or .crosshead 36. When the carriage 36 is moved in one direction to carry gear 42 into contact with gear 43, the latch 52.0n that side Willengage in the corresponding notch 53, and when the carriage and cam are moved in the opposite direction to carry the gear 42 into mesh with gear 44 the other latch is engaged. So long as the carriage is thus held by va latch so long will gear 42 remain in mesh with gear 43 or 44. As it is not desired that the power should remain .on longer than is sufficient to open the door, the following mechanism is employed to automatically cut off the current and release-either of the engaged latches 52 and allow the springs 48 to return the gear 42 into inoperative position. An oval frame 54 is disposed below the shaft 45 and incloses the gears 43 44. Each endof this frame is provided with a rod 55, one rod being intended to operate the spring 30 under one platform and the other rod to operate the other spring under the other platform. Each one of these rods 55 carries a stop 56, which when moved in one direction will engage a corresponding spring 30 to turn the latter on its fulcrum and in opposition to the spring 33, thus moving the spring 30 out of the notch in the bolt 18, which allows the plug 32 to spring up and break the motor-circuit between the contacts 25 26. The reciprocation of the rods to-eifect this automatic cutting out of the motor-circuit at the right time is done by means of the pinions '57 on the shaft 45 engaging the rack-surfaces 58 on the opposite sides of the frame 54. When the operator has stepped on the platform and set the motor in motion, which causes the gear 42 to be moved over into enga ement with the appropriate gears 4344, the s aft 45 is made to turn to open the door in the direction away from the platform on which the pressure has been brought tobear. The set-. ting in motion of the shaft 45 also sets in motion the frame 54, and just-at the moment that the door is fully opened a stop 56 oper ates a spring 30 to cut out the motor-circuit in the manner just described. At the same moment that the door is fully opened the latch 52, which happened to have been en-. 'gaged by the carriage 36 and which is connected by a flexible or jointed member 59 with the adjacent end of the frame 54, will be retracted to release the carria e 36, which moves back into central norma position by 'reason of the springs 48. 4 The gear 42 thus being carried out of contact with both of the gears 43 44, the spring 5, which has one end connected to the arm 5 onshaft 2 and the other connected with a fixed point of support, will operate to turn the shaft 2, bringing spring 5 and arm 5 into'a straight line,: This backward ro-.

thus closing the door. tative movement of the shaft 45 causes the frame 54 to move into its normal position, carrying the stop 56 away from the spring 30, which once more by virtue of the spring 33, resumes its engagement with the notch in bolt 18, when pressure on the platform is released to allow the toggle 19 to shorten.

The return movement of the frame 54 allows the connection 59 to slacken and let the spring 62 push' the latch 52 once more into the path of the carriage 36- in readiness for the next operation. 1

Since means must be employed to prevent both platforms being operated in case two persons approaching from opposite directions come upon both platforms simultaneously or in case one person is on a platform and the door is opening away from him and another person should come upon the platform before a the door is fully opened, I provide each rod 21 with a block 63, sliding on a casting 24 and adapted to be projected underneath a pro ection 64, carried by the platform. If bothparties step on the platform at the same time and both platforms are simultaneously depressed, the projections 64 are moved across the path of the blocks 63 and rods 21, and the straightening movements of the toggles 19 are arrested before they could move far enough to rock the arms 51-. Consequently gear 42 remains in inoperative position between the gears 43 44 and the door can be turned either way by hand. If one platform should have been operated in advance of the other, so that its rod should have been pushed far enough to carry its block 63 underneath the projection 64 under the opposite platform, this opposite platform cannot be moved and the door will be opened toward this last-named platform by the mechanism described.

It is possible that various modifications in my invention may be made without departing from the principle thereof, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific construction as herein shown and described. 1

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1 In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a door, a gear-shaftconnected with the door, and means to operate the shaft to open the door, said last-named means including a motor mounted on a shiftable carriage.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a door, a gear-shaft connected with the door, and means to operate the shaft to open the door, said last-named means including a motor mounted on a shiftable carriage, a gear carried by the motor, and engageable by the gear on said shaft.

3. The combination of a door, a hinged platform, a motor, a shiftable carriage for the latter, a gear on the motor-shaft above the carriage, a second shaft having gears engageable with but normally out of contact with the motor-gear, and connection between the shaft and the door to open the latter when the shaft is rotated.

4. The combination of a door, an operating-shaft and connections between the latter and the door to turn the latter in unison with the operating-shaft, a gear on said shaft, a gear to engage said shaft-gear, a motor to operate said gear, a shiftable carriage for said motor and its gear, and means to operate said carriage to carry said gears into and out of engagement with each other.

5. The combination of a door, an operating-shaft connected with the door and turnable in unison therewith, a motor, a carriage supporting the motor and shiftable in the line of said shaft, interruptible connections between the motor and said shaft to rotate the latter, and means to control the move ments of said carriage.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a door, an operatingshaft connected therewith, a gear on the lat ter, a motor-driven gear to engage the firstnamed gear, a carriage shiftable in the line of the shaft and supporting the motor-driven IIO gear, and means to operatethe carriage to; move said gears into and out of engagement with one another. v

7. In apparatusof the character described, the combination of a door, an operatingshaft connected therewith, a gear on the latter, a motor-driven gear to engage the firstnamed gear, a carriage shiftable in the line of the shaft and supporting the motoredriven gear, and means to operate the carriageto move said gears into and out of engagement with .one another, said last-named means including an elliptical cam.

8. In an apparatus of-the character described, the combination of a door, an oper-' rating-shaft connected therewith, a gear on the latter, a motor-driven gear to engage the firstnamed gear, a carriage shiftable in the line of the shaft and supporting the motordriven gear, and means to operate the carriage to move said gears into and out of en gagement with one another, said last-named. means including an elliptical cam connected with said motor-driven gear and carried by the carriage.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a door, an operating-shaft connected therewith, .a gear on the latter, a motor-driven gear to engage the first-named gear, a carriage shiftable in theline of the shaft and supporting the motordriven gear, and means to operate the carriage to move said'gears into and out of engagement with one another, said last-named means including an elliptical cam connected with said motor-driven gear and carried by the carriage, a motor connected to and movable with the carriage.

10, The combination of a door, an operating-shaft therefor, a carriage slidable in the line of the shaft and carrying a gear to engage a corresponding part on the shaft to rotate the latter, a motor'carried by the carriage to rotate said gear, and means to reciprocate the carriage.

11. The combination of a door, an operat ing-shaft therefor, a gear on said shaft, a second gear, a shiftable carriage supporting said second gear, a motor carried by the carriage to operate said second gear, means to shift said carriage to move said gears into and out of engagement with one another, said lastnamed means including an elliptical cam, a hinged floor-section, and means operable by the floor-section and interposable in the path of said cam.

12. The combination of a door, an operating-shaft therefor, a gear on said shaft, a second gear, a shiftable carriage supporting said second gear, a motor carried by the carriage to operate said second gear, means to shift said carriage to move said gears into and out of engagement with one another, said lastnamed means including an elliptical cam, a

hinged floor-section, means operable by the floor-section Zand interposable the path of said ,cam, and means operated by the fioorr tion, and means controlled by the floor-section ,to operate said second gear, means \operated bythe floor-section to move said shiftable support to carry said gears into engagement and independent means for disengaging said gears.

14. The combination .of a door, an operating-shaft therefor, a gear on said shaft, a sec- .ond gear engageable therewith, a shiftable support for the second gear, a hinged floorsection, means controlled by the floor-section to operate said second gear, an elliptical cam rig-id with said gear, and stop mechanism cperated by the floor-section to engage said cam to shift said support and move said gears into engagement.

15. The combination of a door, an operating-shaft therefor, a gear on said shaft, ,a second gear engageable therewith, a shiftable support for the second gear, a hinged floorsection, means controlled by the floor-section to operate said second gear, an elliptical cam rigid with said gear, a stop mechanism operated by the floor-section to engage said cam to shift said support and move said gears into engagement, means engaging said support to maintain the engagement of said gears during the door-opening movement, and means to release said support the moment the door is opened and disengage the gears.

16, The combination of a door, a hinged platform, a door-opening mechanism operated by the platform and connected with the door, said means including an operating-shaft a gear on the shaft, a second gear engageable with said shaft-gear, a sliding carriage for said second gear, a motor supported by said carriage to operate said second gear, means actuated by the hinged platform to control the motor, an elliptical cam rigid with the second gear, a toggle member operable by the floor-platform, a rod connected with said toggle member, and means operable by said rod to engage said elliptical cam to move the carriage to carry said gears into engagement.

17. The combination of a door, a hinged platform, a door-opening mechanism operated by the platform and connected with the door, said means including an operatingshaft, a gear on the shaft, a second gear engageable with said shaft-gear, a sliding carriage for said second gear, a motor supported by said carriage to operate said second gear, means actuated by the hinged platform to control the motor, an elliptical cam rigid With the second gear, a toggle member operable by the floor-platform, a rod connected with In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- 10 KENZAEMON N ISHIMOTO.

Witnesses:

S. K. MIKsUsE, CHARLES D. OCONNOR. 

